Derrick Rose: A list of Rose's best games as a Chicago Bulls' legend
"Too fast, too strong, too good." Classic words Chicago Bulls game analyst Stacey King used to describe Bulls star Derrick Rose.
Rose will be honored on Saturday night during the Bulls' game against the Knicks, and his jersey will be retired by the franchise next season, officially making him a Chicago sports legend.
It's time to remember some of Rose's best moments as a Bull.
This list won't include games like Rose's 50-point, career-high game vs. Utah in 2018. He was a member of the Minnesota Timberwolves at that point.
Here's a list of some of Derrick Rose's best games as a Bull, which led to the franchise retiring his No. 1 jersey.
April 18, 2009 – NBA Eastern Conference First Round vs. Boston
Game 1: 36 points, four rebounds, 11 assists
Game 6: 28 points, eight rebounds, seven assists, game-sealing block
Welcome to the playoffs, Derrick.
In his first playoff series as a Bull, Rose was honored as the NBA Rookie of the Year and took off. His first-career playoff game placed him with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the only rookies to record a 35+ point, 10+ assist playoff game in NBA history.
In Game 6, many remember Joakim Noah for his coast-to-coast dunk that transformed the United Center into a madhouse, but Rose came through with a game-sealing block on Rajon Rondo that sent the series to a winner-take-all Game 7.
The Bulls lost the series in seven games, but the seven-game thrilling series was a harbinger of what was to come with Rose and his big-game moments.
October 31, 2013 - ‘The Return’ vs. New York
18 points, six rebounds, three assists
It wasn't enough that Rose returned to the floor after missing an entire season following his grueling ACL recovery, but he had to make it as dramatic as possible.
Rose returned to the United Center on Halloween and scored 18 points in his NBA return. He cemented his status as "officially back" when he hit one of his patented floaters on the baseline over two Knick defenders with 5.7 seconds left to lift the Bulls to an 82-81 win.
March 7, 2012 – Game-winner vs. Milwaukee
30 points, 14 of 14 free throws, 11 assists, eight rebounds, 1 steal and 1 block
The Bulls won the NBA Central Division twice between the 2010-2011 and 2011-2012 seasons. One of the games that exemplified Rose's dominance was the Bulls' 106-104 winner over the Bucks.
Rose didn't have a great shooting day, just 8 of 22 from the field, but he was perfect from the free-throw line and hit a step-back game-winner over Brandon Jennings on a moment where everyone knew who would be taking the last shot. Rose averaged 24 points per game against the Bucks in that two-season span.
March 18 & February 17, 2011 - Bulls career-highs vs. Indiana and San Antonio
March 18 vs. Indiana: 42 points, four rebounds, two assists
February 17 vs. San Antonio: 42 points, eight assists, five rebounds
Cementing his MVP status, Rose notched his career-high in scoring and tied it just a month later.
Against the Spurs and Pacers, Rose scored 42 twice in a 15-game span. In those 15 games, Rose scored 20-points or more in all but two games. The Bulls won more games by double digits (seven) than they lost (three), going 12-3 in that stretch. Rose's 2011 season was unforgettable.
BOSTON - JANUARY 14: Derrick Rose #1 of the Chicago Bulls dribbles the ball during the game against the Boston Celtics on January 14, 2010 at the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downlo
May 6, 2011 - NBA Eastern Conference Semifinals vs. Atlanta: Game 4
44 points, seven assists and five rebounds
Derrick Rose's 2010-2011 season will be remembered for his regular-season dominance, but his 44-point game against the Atlanta Hawks will forever remain one of his best playoff moments.
Rose dominated the game, but that was a theme when he reached the playoffs. In 52 career playoff games, Derrick Rose averaged 21.9 points, 6.3 assists and 4.3 rebounds,
His playoff career-high of 44 points put the Bulls up 2-1 in a series they'd win 4-2.
December 25, 2011 - Christmas Day vs. Lakers
22 points, four 3-pointers made, five assists, 1 block, 1 rebound, game-winning basket
While Santa was making his way across homes all over, Rose was in Los Angeles delivering stuffed statsheets and happiness to Bulls fans everywhere.
After a lockout delayed the start of the 2011-2012 NBA season to Christmas Day, Rose wasted no time reminding fans across the world why he was the reigning MVP. His floater over Derek Fisher with 4.8 seconds left was an unforgettable start to a season with a forgettable ending for Chicago.
May 8, 2015 - NBA Eastern Conference Semifinals vs. Cleveland: Game 3
30 points, seven rebounds, seven assists, buzzer-beating 3-pointer
Plenty point to Rose's injury history and note he was never the same after his knee injuries took hold. That may be true statistically, but Rose was still one of the best players on the court with a masterful clutch gene.
His last true galvanizing and spectacular moment as a Chicago Bull was his buzzer-beating 3-pointer that beat LeBron James' Cavaliers to give the Bulls a 2-1 lead in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. The image of an expressionless Rose, being lifted in the air by his teammates, will never be forgotten in Chicago.